


Stray Destcember

by Antievil



Series: Trips Cinematic Universe [6]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:22:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 5,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21655186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antievil/pseuds/Antievil
Summary: This holiday season, get your fill of found family, idiot gays, banter, and fuzzy animal sidekicks with the Trips Cinematic Universe!No but seriously this is just me filling Destcember prompts with mine and my friend's ocs and their relationships.
Series: Trips Cinematic Universe [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1399444
Kudos: 4





	1. A New Look

Vel worried her lip as she stood outside of the Stray’s Stay Bar & Grill. It had been a few weeks, and some stuff had happened, and well… 

She sighed and ran her hand through her hair, feeling the fuzz of the newly shaved sides underneath her palm. Looking in the reflection she could really see the resemblance between her and her brother, but she liked it. 

Plus her head felt a lot lighter without all that extra weight, especially since Canvas had been nice enough to chop off a bunch of damaged hair (the consequences of fanatics deciding to detonate after your helmet broke and splattering arc charged vex milk all over her head). 

She clapped her hands together and finally slipped into the seedy looking entrance to her second home. 

The titan carefully opened the door, the bar hadn’t changed at all in the last two and a half weeks. Vlana, Key and Kato were sitting at a table, the hunter rolling her eyes as the two warlocks excitedly talked about something. 

Tarrow was sitting back at the bar, talking to Virtue but shot a smile back at her. 

“Lughead you’re ba-”    
  
“KIDDO YOUR HAIR!” Vlana laughed as they came up to the other awoken. “You make the manlet look good.” 

Vel deadpanned, “Vlana that is single handedly the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me.” 

“Damn right it is.” Vlana chuckled and shook her head. 

“I like it!” Kato pouted. “Key back me up.” 

Key blushed as she became the center of attention, caught playing with the new fuzz as Vel leaned into her hand. 

“She’s biased you lil fuck.” Vlana raised an eyebrow and Kato glared at her. 

“I can’t believe I have to say this out loud, but I agree with both of you.” Vel chuckled and wrapped her arms around her now deeply troubled girlfriend. “Holy fuck I agree with both of you.” 

“Wow that hurt.” Kato overdramatically grabbed his heart. “All that friendship, all the food exchanged, all for naught.” 

“Fuck you too I guess.” The hunter rolled her eyes. “But the look isn’t too bad kid-” 

  
  


“We’re technically older than you.” Vel and Kato chimed at the same time.

“Makes you look less like a kid.” Vlana snickered. “Not that you’ll ever really grow up, your brain can’t handle that kinda thought.” 

Tarow chuckled as he listened to the four young awoken banter. 

“I’m just glad she’s home.” 

“She was always going to come back, just needed some time to find herself.” Virtue sipped her beer. “Pretty sure it’s a requirement of guardians to go on a journey of self discovery. Fuck off for a few weeks, maybe a few years and come back a changed person.” 

“Well I’m glad she came back quick then, if only I could you know,” He waved a hand in front of his face, “See the new hair.” 

“Eh you ain’t missing much old man. She’s still the same kid you raised.” 


	2. A Glimmer of Hope

Eli rolled her shoulders and sighed as she stepped out of Vel’s little homemade forge. Given a few more days she was sure Kimberly would throw some shadow money at it and it’d be state of the art. Not that she’d complain at all. 

Despite the ambient heat of the fire and molten metal Eli’s breath frosted in the air and the grass beneath her feet frosted over. 

“You need to vent frostie?” Vel yelled over the metal she was hammering. 

“Gimme a moment to even out and I’ll be right back in!” Eli hollered back, the cold sweat on her back leaving a cold trail. 

Tank top sweaty, jeans soaked and stained, Eli walked around the backyard. Tarow’s and his kid’s vegetable garden sat not twenty feet from the blistering heat of the forge, and Eli looked at the nearest plant, this bean sprout that was struggling between the two temperatures. 

She stared at the little thing and really felt for it. This fledgling plant, not quite fully grown or providing anything yet tryin hard to get there. 

No guidance and no support, just the bent sprout verus a rapidly changing environment. The heat from the forge contrasting with the chill of the night sky. She felt for it. She had been there. 

Eli pulled a knife out and stabbed it into the ground next to the sprout, lifting the small curled stem upwards. 

“You hang in there lil bud.” A half assed cut later, her stomach was a bit colder, but a bit of string gently supported the plant. “All anyone needs is a good base ‘nd some support right?” 

The hunter smiled, stretched and went back into the forge. 

“Hey kid.” Eli asked. Vel looked up from the knife she was forging. “Lemme know if anythin is botherin you alright?” 

“I mean sure?” The titan looked confused. 

“Don’t think too much about it. Just doin your old man a favor.” Vel hesitantly nodded. 

“Okay Eli…” Vel went back to forging. “I’ll let you know if there’s somethin… up your wheelhouse I could use.” 

“You can just say criminal if you want. Or illegal.” Eli smiled. “Now I got some nice ideas here for what I want to do with this knife we’ve been making.” 

“You paid for it, so just tell me what to do boss.”    
  


“This thing is gonna cut through the hopes and dreams of everyone who dares to get in our way.”


	3. A Long Shadow

Tarow sat behind his bar, and sighed deeply. 

It was quiet and empty, a rare event given how often his not so small found family and their friends (his own too) would be there. Not that he didn’t love them or mind their company, but the peace and lack of breaking, fighting, banter or sexual innuendos was nice. 

Leaning back he kicked kicked his feet up and relaxed. 

Everything was great.

He heard the door open and in walked what he assumed was another arc guardian. The swirling arc light was a bit different than Vel’s or Key’s or even Virtue’s. 

It wasn’t wild and erratic, or restrained and subdued, he had never seen arc energy spin almost like a living cocoon protective and ready to react, a knife’s edge away from vaporizing whatever they deemed to be a threat. It was interesting, and more defensive than any other striker he knew. 

“I heard that this is a nice quiet place to get a drink.” Her voice was calm but calculated. 

“You heard right. Welcome to the Stray’s Stay, I’m Tarow, what can I getcha?” He stood up and threw a rag over his shoulder. 

“I’ll take a beer,” There was a pause in her voice. “Tarow-3?” 

He stood ramrod straight. “Are you Tarow-3? The redjack?”

“Once upon a time yes.” Tarow dropped his head. “A couple lifetimes ago.” 

“Did you…” 

“Once after the Disaster and once more after the whole Oryx situation. Lost a lotta friends working on the Dreadnaught.” 

“I see. Honestly I thought you were lost on the moon.” 

“I mean in a way I was. Never getting those memories back.” He chuckled darkly. “But who were you to me 3?” 

“We worked on the same fireteam a lot. A very agreeable man, great distance support, funny, cordial.” 

“I’m sorry I don’t. Where are my manners, what’s your name ma’am?” Tarow pulled a beer out of the fridge under the bar, leaning on the counter as he set down and popped the cap off in front of her.

“Sierra, titan striker, vanguard officer.” _She’s sticking her hand out for a handshake, just over the counter… higher.. A lil bit higher._ Tarow shook her hand. 

“Nice to meet you again Sierra. I’m sorry it ain’t much warmer than this.” 

“Any warmer and I’d be worried about my beer.” They both chuckled at the bad joke. 

“I’d…” He took a deep breath. “I’d like to hear about what you’ve been up to. If what I know of my third life is true… it was a good one filled with good people.” 

“This life seems to be a better one too. Don’t take that for granted.” He could hear the woman take a sip. “Don’t let your past cast this long shadow over what you have now. Learn from it, grow from it, use it to fuel making a brighter tomorrow.” 

Tarow nodded and smiled. 

“Usually I’m the one tellin’ folk these sorta things. Feels strange to be on the other side of this for once.” 

“Well it was bound to happen eventually, after all I am older than you.” Tarow heard some glimmer be left on the counter. “I’ll have to stop by with this kid I picked up, she’s not as jaded as us old timers.” 

“She’d get along great with my kids then.” Tarow started counting the glimmer by hand. “Lil blueberries I mentored for the past couple years. Young ones too. But they’re good.”

“If they’re like you at all, I don’t doubt it. Take care Tarow.” _She saluted by the way._ Tarow saluted back. 

“You too Sierra.” 

He counted out the glimmer, about three thousand glimmer “tip” for the one beer. 

“For what its worth, I think you’ve been long out of the shadow of your past lives.” Archive bumped his forehead. 

  
“Thanks dear, but sometimes it's nice to hear it from other people.” 


	4. Dark Side of the Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before the Pyramid, before the Scarlet Keep, before the Scorn, before the Worm Gods, before the Infinite Forest, before even the Red War, Vel set a single goal.

Vel and Kato sat in the small cave the brother’s dawnblade lighting the interior. 

  
There was a roar and a crash outside, and the two brand new guardians gulped as they drew their weapons, a standard issue auto rifle. 

Slowly a hunter limped into the cave and flopped onto the floor next to them.

“Alright kiddos, remind me to check the status of the moon before we head up here next time.” 

“Tarow are we supposed to be here?” Kato asked, putting down a healing rift and dispelling the dawnblade. 

“Well there was a fallen outpost that was here, but with all the Taken activity since Crota is dead I guess they moved in.” Tarow slowly stood up and rolled his shoulders, his sniper and hand cannon loaded and ready to go. “We’re gonna get you kids back to the Tower, you’re not ready to fight these kinda folk yet-” 

“I got my light, I got a gun, I got my fists. I dare them to try to stop me!” Vel banged her fists together, shooting off arc energy angrily.   
  
“Kid kid, the Taken aren’t going anywhere, and right now some other squad is already here to clear the infestation as best as they can.” Tarow put his hand on Vel’s shoulder. “Right now, if you fight one of those fuckin things, you’re gonna die and your light is going to fade, cause their darkness can and will consume it.” He could feel her shoulders slump. “We get off this dark bit of the Moon, do a lot more training and I bet nothin will be able to stop your light.” 

“He’s right sis. We’re like a 4 on a scale of 1-40. We’re not ready to deal with this stuff,  _ yet _ . We’ll come back and kick their asses later.” Kato punched her free shoulder and was shot a look from the hunter. 

  
“I guess you guys are right. I just, I just wanna be able to do something ya know?” Vel stared at her hands, her stupid useless hands. 

“Right now, not dying is a lot. You guys are in way over your heads here.” A large boom echoed through the cave along with a series of whoops and yelling. “That sounds like the extermination squad, so we should be good to go, those guys are armed to the teeth.” Tarow pulled Vel along to head out. 

A squad of 3 flew overhead doing tricks as they jumped off their sparrows. One pulled this beautiful white and gold rocket launcher and a volley came out and obliterated a group of taken. 

A warlock was slammed backwards by an ogre, crashing into a pillar and falling limp. Vel started to run over but a beautiful golden light surrounded him and with a loud almost gong like sound they stood up in a blaze of fire. Sticking the ogre with a grenade before turning towards a pack of thralls advancing on them. 

The last one caught her attention the most. A titan, armored by a faction she didn’t recognize, summoned a fiery hammer, throwing it into the fray over and over again. 

If it wasn’t for her brother and mentor pulling her along, she would’ve stayed and watched. 

_ Hiss, bang! _

A thrall was shot down next to her, Tarow’s hand cannon smoking. 

“We gotta move. You can learn and get all that eventually, but you need to live to do so.” He shot a few more of the taken that were turning towards them. “Move your butts now!” He literally kicked Vel’s butt, making her stumble forward into a dead sprint. 

She’d be back one day. To this darker moon. To take on all this darkness and bash it back with the power of her light.    
  
She wasn’t gonna be useless forever. 


	5. A Day Off

This was a rare treat for Beatrice, her apartment was wife and ‘dog’ free, having gone to check on Judge and the pack after a nasty storm, Vlana was, as she had put it before, “Riding Ikora’s dick” for a few days on a mission of some sort or another, couldn’t give out a lot of details and other “bullshit” but the apartment was empty. 

She stretched as the sun began to rise over the city, the light coming through the glass door leading out to a small balcony. 

She put a kettle on the stove, letting it boil while she changed out of her pajamas into a black sports bra and yoga pants. Just as the pot began to whistle she poor hot water into a travel mug and dropped a bag of tea. 

The roof of her building was always empty this early, and courtesy of some of Riptide’s friends there was a nice garden. 

  
Breathing deeply she began to move through the different forms. 

By the time she was done she felt tired, but more relaxed. The sun was solidly in the sky and Beatrice sat down and drank her tea enjoying the calm morning. 

A shower, and a comfortable sweater later Beatrice headed towards the heart of the city, relaxed and calm. A scone and some more tea later she strolls into a small library, waving at an older woman before grabbing a cart and heading into the stacks.

There was a nice order and ease to sorting the books, almost meditative but Beatrice didn’t enjoy sitting still. There was always some way she could help even if it was as mundane and simple as shelving books. 

A small tap on her hip pulled her out of her almost trance. 

Beatrice looked down, a small human child, her eyes wide and one front tooth missing. 

“Uhh miss?” The child held up a book. “Can you help me put this back peas?” 

“Sure dear. What book do you have there?” Beatrice pulled a pair of glasses out from her pocket. “Tales of the Fiery Brigade by Morgana LeBlade, I almost forgot about that one.”    
  


“My maman loves her a lot!” The girl smiled widely. “We would read chapters at bed time.” 

“It’s a good tale, my personal favorite there was the hunter Selene.” Beatrice gently reached her hand out, feeling small fingers grasping hers. 

“I like Catrina, she has that  _ hugggeee _ hammer and would be like blam! And wack! But I thought Bianca was the coolest, cause she could fly.” 

“Too bad LeBlade never wrote that sequel.” Beatrice winced as she remembered how poorly the adventure series was received. 

“She really should! Its really fun!” The girl pouted. “My maman always wondered who the White Wolf was and what would happen with the Storm Princess.” 

“You and your maman can always decide that for yourself. Write your own sequel.” Beatrice never minded the fanfiction and theories her work usually brought up- her arm pulled as the little girl stopped. 

“We can’t.” The warlock’s face fell. She had heard that tone so many times, known everything like that. Immediately she dropped to her knees and hugged the small girl as she began to cry. 

“You’re a brave woman,” Beatrice laughed and pulled back. “I never got your name?” 

“Emily.” She sniffled a few times trying to wipe the tears off her face. 

“You’re incredibly brave Emily, and let me tell you a secret.” She gestured the girl closer. “I know Morgana LeBlade.” 

“No way!” 

“Yes and I’ll talk to her about making a new story. Dedicated to the bravest girl I’ve met.” Emily smiled widely, still sniffling a little. 

“Thank you ma’am.” 

“Keeping people safe and happy is what guardians do.” Beatrice walked Emily back to the front of the library, standing next to the desk. “I’ll let you in on a secret, I’m the inspiration behind Bianca. But you have to keep it a secret or else I’ll always get caught on missions.”    


The young girl zipped her mouth shut, never to tell another living soul (minus her best friend and her stuffed animals probably) the secret. 

“Aren’t you getting soft Ms. Beatrice.” The older woman at the front desk laughed. “Fifty years ago you would’ve shushed that girl out of here.”    
  
“Its Mrs. now Michelle. And she deserved a hero.” Beatrice stretched and walked out the door. “It was nice seeing you again, need to take more days off.” 

“And I’ll let little Emily know when you’re in town.” 

“A lot more days then.” 


	6. Every Rose, a Thorn

Eli stared at the gun in front of her. It was a strange gig she was hired for but one she took nonetheless. 

Hang out with some vanguard types and cleanse a Thorn to make the opposite version. In her time Eli had seen many Thorns, and a few guns that tried to bend the darker parts of their powers to make more life. 

But this, this was actual light they were making. 

One worm god later, thanks to knives, more knives and bullet, Eli stood there holding this pure gun. It felt weird and she chucked it into her bag. 

“Yknow, for the dredgen type I didn’t expect you to want something like this. Don’t you guys do more of the darkness nd shit?” 

A titan in green and brown reaper armor looked over. 

“Playing both sides usually gains you more power.” The titan shrugged. “The light has powers we don’t understand and so does the darkness. I’ve never heard of something that killed in order to heal but I can get behind that principle.”    
  


“You’re right, but also I’m surprised you hired me Aurora. Outta all the folk you know, you picked me.”    


“I wanted someone I wouldn’t have to worry about shooting with a Thorn the entire time.” Aurora looked upwards at the martian night. “Here you can have this.” 

Eli caught the flash of metal in the air and instinctively dove behind cover. 

“I… I really should’ve expected that.” 

“Kid I have been burned at this stage of the job way too many times.” The hunter smacked the helmet. “I’ve been blown up, shot, stabbed, sniped, and one time crushed by a fuckin pike, and you’re just gonna chuck a,” She picked up the thing, “A fucking hand cannon at me?” 

“Chill out, I just figured you’d like it. Its reliable, if a bit old and plain-” “Watch it!” “And a rose stands neatly between the light and the dark.” 

“Every rose is also supposed to have a Thorn right?” Eli raised an eyebrow. “One of those come with it?” 

Wordlessly Aurora’s ghost materialized something not even in the titan’s hand, or near the titan really. 

About 10 feet away from the duo, centered perfectly on one of those random ventilation units Bray Tech seemed so enamoured with, was a Thorn.    
  
  
  
Eli had dealt with a lotta Thorns. The brand new shiny ones of freshly anointed shadows. The worn and scared and well used ones of older shadows, refusing to step out into the light. Aurora’s though, was different. 

It wasn’t new, there were dings, scratches, and this layer of red dust over the exterior. The barrel was blocked by this layer of red mud, like she had just unearthed from a hidden cache. 

“You can take that too. After all, every rose has a Thorn right.” Aurora laughed, dark and sad. “It was an initiation thing, but I don’t want this. That Thorn has too many memories and feelings attached to it for me.” The glowing green reaper eyes met her own. “You however, could use the leverage and status holding one of these can get you, without all the baggage.” 

  
“Kid I’m not-” 

“It’s a bonus. I’m not gonna take it, and if you’re not, we’ll just let the hive have it back.” Aurora started walking back to the ships. “I appreciate everything you’ve done today Eli.”    


“You’ll get billed for it later, and I promise not to tell your dad.” Eli rolled her shoulders. “I dunno if exo’s can have a heart attack but Tar would find a way.”


	7. Forge Your Destiny

Out of all the colorful characters and strong personalities, it wasn’t hard for Kato to get lost in the margins and in people’s shadows, both figuratively and literally. 

He wasn’t the strongest person, how could he ever be with goliaths like Virtue and Cecile and Illios. 

He wasn’t the smartest, with Key and Abby always one step ahead or farther into their work than he ever was.

He wasn’t even the smallest, with Amisi’s comically small stature but gigantic personality how could anyone really compare.   


No, Kato was an average guardian in a family of outstanding people. 

So what was a manlet to do? 

He watched the video of the Sundial Vel had sent him, the spinning arc energy ripping entire timelines into neat portals. All of the greatest warlocks had this die hard focus to their work, even though that tended to end in their downfall, but no one seemed to remember most of the rest. 

Osiris was famed for his skills in battle and his insatiable study of the Vex and the Infinite Forest. None could forget Ikora and her power and wisdom, her desire to protect the City and Humanity to her final breath. Even Toland was famous to the more active guardians, twisting hive rituals to suit his own ends. A morbid infamy, but memorable still. 

Kato leaned back in his office chair, staring at another ruined tank of goop and a malfeasance still the odd green of taken corruption. 

“Hey Solstice, you think if I go all mad scientist people will remember me?” Kato sighed. “Cause I’m pretty sure if I go off the books people will remember me.” 

“They’ll remember you because you’ll be on a ‘Vanguard’s Most Wanted List’ for stealing what’s technically confidential Hidden research and illegal artifacts.”

“You’re no fun, but I’m just not getting any new answers and it's not like there’s a book on the whole process of becoming a Taken that I can read and reverse.” 

“So why don’t you write the book?” 

“What?” Kato sat up and stared at his ghost in confusion. 

“If there is no book, go write it. Compile first and second hand accounts of the Taking process. Maybe track down Toland and see if he knows anything. Write a book, a Treatise of Taken or some other alliteration or pun.” 

Orange eyes opened wide and he smiled. 

“Solstice, I love you this is a great idea. I need to know what happens so I know what I’m undoing cause we have the physical power to get something to happen, and if I can make sure the atomic or subatomic reactions are happening.” Kato spun in his office chair. “We can undo it. We could actually undo it.” 

Kato bounded out of the office, not bothering to take off his lab coat as he glided down the street to his apartment. 

He was ready to start his own book, to make his own path, to forge his own destiny and undo one of the Darkness’s most powerful abilities. 


	8. f̷̱̟͎̰̑̍r̷͖̆͂͐ḙ̸̛͉͎̍̊̌͜ë̵̲̱̮́͘ ̶̛̦̣̲̼̃s̴̲̓̒̉p̴̧̨̙̞̏ä̶͍́͝c̸̣̒̈́̈́e̶͎͔̯͊̃͊

Dawning season was fast approaching and Tarow wanted to decorate the bar. Now he himself couldn’t see, and despite how much he loved everyone, he also trusted no one to appropriately decorate the bar without a dick being made or some other sexual innuendo. 

So out of everyone he could’ve asked for help, he picked the two most wholesome people at the bar. 

Tarow stopped in the middle of the street, Trips cocking his head at his owners sudden halt. 

“I made a mistake.” 

“How so?” Echo, holding Illios’s arm asked from beside him.

“I can’t see and Illios can’t talk. There’s gonna be a lot of communication problems.” Tarow laughed and Illios whirled and beeped. 

“Everything will work out fine Tarow. Now come on, I want to get a tree and stuff to make gingerbread.” Illios cheeped excitedly at the idea of his husband’s delicious baking. 

“You’re probably right.” The trio of exos walked to a tree farm. 

  
The City was chillier now, some days small bits of snow falling but not yet sticking. It was getting well into Winter and the beginning of pre-Dawning cheer was taking hold. Colorful lights, hot drinks, people walking in thick jackets and scarfs. 

  
Tarow could hear Echo pointing out things in window displays to Illios, their own gift and decoration shopping likely still not finished. Trips and Archive lightly guided him through the crowds of people in the markets until they reached the outskirts of the City. 

A large dirt plot was crowded with people, dozens of conversations about size, shape, and more often than not the exasperated sigh of “that tree is too big for our place” being met with pleading and pouting. 

“I’m gonna stay outta the way, I trust you guys to get me a good tree.” Tarow watched the sparking energy inside of Illios glow a little brighter as the titan got excited. 

  
Smiling he watched the two leave and sat on a small wooden bench, Trips jumping up next to him to rest his head on the hunter’s lap and get scratches. 

“You know Illios is holding up trees for Echo like he’s showing off his catch of the day?” Archive giggled. “Must be a benefit of being a six and a half foot metal war machine.”    
  


“I’m sure Echo loves it. Those two need to spend more time together, they’re both so busy and the holidays are comin up.” Deft hands ran through soft brown fur. “Everyone deserves to unwind and relax. Even if the fan favorite is back from the dead.” Tarow chuckled. “I’m half sure all Mako wants this Dawning is to hang out with Saint-14. Not that I can really blame her.” He stretched his arms, the cold locking up some damaged joints. He was so relaxed he almost didn’t see Illios’s beacon of arc light or Echo’s much more subdued swirling void energy walk towards him. 

“We found a good one that should fit in the bar. Illios volunteered to take it back since he can carry it one handed.” Tarow nodded, and laughed a little at how muted Illios sounded from behind the branches of the evergreen tree. 

“Big man can lug it back. I’ll make y’all some hot chocolate while you two make sure that tree is the only straight thing in the bar.”  _ Illios just fist pumped from behind the tree by the way. _

Tarow could hear Echo’s giggle, smiling as he stretched out and started back towards the bar, Illios and Echo next to him, Trips walking snuggly next to his leg. 

The three men talked, laughed and well… beeped the whole way home, enjoying the beginning of the festive season. 


	9. [Redacted]

Vel looked over the log she had found on the table in the living room and paced back and forth. This log, this made her question everything her and Kato built their family on, they relied on each other. It… it was tearing her apart. 

Kato finally came through the door, throwing his lab coat and satchel on the table before flopping onto the couch. 

“What’s got you looking so glum there Lughead?” Kato stretched and yawned, but his face quickly fell as he saw Vel hold up the Reefmade data log. “Oh.” 

“Why did you never show me this?” Her voice was solid and cold like the plasteel armor she wore. 

“Cause you’d freak out and do this exactly.” 

“Kato. This, this is huge I mean why woul-” Vel stopped her pacing as a hand grabbed her forearm and turned her. 

“Vel, you are my sister by choice. I don’t care about that data log.”    
  


“Kato, I  **killed** you.” Vel dropped to the couch, running her hand over the clipped sides. “I set up that meeting so you’d die.” 

“Well I mean it partly worked. And if I was actually selling data about security systems to the Fallen its a good thing you killed that guy.” 

“That wasn’t some guy Kato that was you!”    
  


“No, it was the melodramatic guy who used this fleshbag before me.” Kato pulled her head down to his and bumped their foreheads. “Who I was, and who you were before everything doesn’t matter. We woke up on that ship and got ourselves here. WE” He banged their heads together. “Chose this life, I chose to stay your brother after I had heard about this. I chose to not care.”

“Kato I, I,”

“You did nothing Vel. I’m here and I don’t care about that log at all. I forgot I had it. At the end of the day, what we did in our past lives don’t matter. What we do in this one does.” 

  
The titan wiped her tears.

  
“You watched that old movie again didn’t you.” Vel laughed and shoved him back. “Nerd.”    
  


“POKEMON THE FIRST MOVIE IS A MASTERPIECE OF THE GOLDEN AGE.” Kato declared from where he had tumbled over the couch. 


	10. Big Bag Theory

“Hey Lil Dude?” Vel’s head brushed the floor as she sat upside down on the couch, slumped with boredom. 

“Yes Vel?” Lil Dude popped into existence above her face. 

“Where did the ‘backpack’ you go into come from?” 

“I’m not sure? Ever since I resurrected you the first time it’s been there.” Lil Dude tilted his shell in confusion. “It’s just there and I can go into it at will if you’re alive.” 

“But where did it come from? Like did you create a pocket dimension with your light? Are all ghosts in the same backpack space?” Vel gently grabbed the ghost. “Y’all are weird.” 

“Did I?” Lil Dude rotated his shell. “Maybe I did.” 

“The Big Bag Theory.” Vel chuckled. “You created your own entire lil universe when you rezzed me.” 

“Vel no.”

  
“On the first day you created the light-”    
  
  
“Don’t you dare go genesis on me!” Lil Dude shocked the grinning titan, causing her to fall off the couch.    
  
  
“Oh come on we spent an entire day reading creation mythos cause you love that stuff!”

“There’s a difference in creation myths and saying I did a miniature genesis to create the backpack.” Lil Dude sparked. “Also we agreed that Genesis was the boring one out of all the myths.” 

“I mean yeah. Still, even just the thought that your light is so powerful it can technically create your own unique pocket dimension is cool.” 

“Just please don’t call it the Big Bag Theory.” 

“How about the Bag Bang Theo- YOWWWW” Vel jumped again as Lil Dude shocked her, again. “Okay okay no theory name for it. Still you’re that strong.” 

“Well duh, how else are you supposed to be strong?” Vel cocked an eyebrow and then flexed her arms, the well defined “punching muscles” on display. “Yeah yeah, whatever lughead. I’m gonna go hang out with Solstice since you’re being a dork.” Lil Dude shook his shell and laughed. 

  
“LOVE YOU TOO LIL DUDE!” Vel laughed with him, still sprawled out on the living room floor. 


	11. Guardian of Nothing

Eli coughed up blood as she pulled herself off the floor. 

“Aren’t you guardians of the Last City supposed to be strong? Powerful? A worthy challenge?” The Cabal Centurion picked her up and through her cross the red rocks, skipping over the Vex milk and crashing into the side of a jagged spire. “You are a pathetic little hunter you know that.” He kicked her and stepped on her chest plate, literal tons of pressure on the metal. “If this is what the Emperor’s chosen Shadow of Earth is like, they’ll die just like the rest of you pathetic humans.” 

Eli scrambled through her armor, trying to just find one of the many hidden knives she had. Anything to get this fucker off her so she could at least stand up.

“You’re just insects really.” She could feel more weight start to crush her. “Waiting. To. Be. Crushed.” With that final word she felt the full weight of the Cabal crush her ribcage and she died. 

_You really gonna let this fucker monologue you? Get your ass back in there._

  
In a beam of light Eli stumbled back to life. Her chest heaved as she could feel air coming into her no longer crushed lungs. 

“Thanks, you could’ve just healed me you know, anytime before now.” Eli mumbled though her helmet. 

_“You’re welcome, now please kill this fucker.”_

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Eli pulled out a trio of knives, spinning one in her right hand as she whistled to the centurion. “Hey fuckface!” 

As the cabal turned around she chucked a knife into his leg, piercing his _solar_ shield with her light infused knife, the fucking idiot. He immediately dropped to one knee. 

The second knife went clean through his boot and she could hear it embed into the floor. 

“You know you were half right.” Eli took a deep breath, feeling her body getting warmer and warmer. 

She could see the panic starting in the cabal's eyes. 

“I am a guardian, just not of the Last City.” Ice traveled up his leg and to his abdomen. Eli lazily flipped the last knife in her hand, the soft rhythmic clanking of a gold and green butterfly knife. “Not a guardian of nothing though, god forbid I’m that lonely and pathetic.” 

As the ice reached his chest she stopped and showed him the engraving on the knife. A coiled serpent ready to lash out. 

“Guess you can say I’m friends with that, what’d you call her? ‘Pathetic human’ Shadow. She’s kinda my payroll. And friend, sometimes. Kinda back and forth, but in the end.” She watched as the light began to fade from his eyes. “You’re nothing to us.” 

Eli turned around, walking out of the vex cavern. 

_The loot?_

“Dirty. I don’t want anything off this fuck.” 

_And the monologue?_

Eli chucked her helmet off angrily. The spinmetal melting in her grip as she vented. 

“I hate being called nothing. Let’s get the fuck outta here.”


End file.
